Thursday, September 18

How to Make Lobster Fra Diavolo

Lobster's back.

First there was creamy lobster risotto. Now it's Lobster Fra Diavolo, a treasured Italian-American dish characterized by a spicy sauce for pasta or seafood. Fra Diavolo, was the king of pasta in the 1990's. (I know this because it was Jeff's favorite entree to order at a "nice" restaurant when we were dating.)

The last time Jeff ate lobster fra diavolo, Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was a number one hit. Though Jeff will always love lobster fra diavolo, he doesn't feel similarly toward Whitney, so I decided not to invite her to our lobster dinner. I asked Frank, our oldest and dearest crooner, to come instead, because Italian food always tastes better with ol' blue eyes.

Bring a large pot (big enough to submerge the lobster completely) of salted water to a boil. To kill the lobster, hold a butcher knife over its head, about an inch behind its eyes; puncture and slice forward in one motion. Plunge the lobster head first into the boiling water for 7-8 minutes. The shell should be bright red, though the meat will finish cooking in the risotto. Remove the lobster from the pot, rinse, and allow to cool.

To remove the meat, twist off the claws; crack them open with nut crackers, and extract the meat. Bend the lobster's body back from the tail until it cracks; remove it. Then push the tail meat out. Crack the lobster body open and break off the legs; use a skewer to push the meat out of the legs.

To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine and crushed red pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile cook spaghetti in salted water for 10 minutes, or until al dente, fully cooked yet firm to the bite.

Add the lobster meat to the sauce and toss well. Heat through 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well. Turn off heat. Stir in the fresh herbs and season with salt. Garnish with additional fresh herbs and serve immediately.

I've never been a big fan of lobster, Susan. Too much work for too little payoff for me. But with this enticing recipe and michelle's brilliant idea of buying steamed, shelled lobster meat, I could become a convert. One thing you don't need to convert me to, though, is Francis Albert Sinatra. I'm a big fan. I love his album nice ’n’ easy.

woa .. the first pic nearly jumped out at me ! we get live lobsters here , and i know this guy who eats them fresh n raw. Yup just kills em, peels em and swallows them like oysters. Maybe u should make ur hubby try it that way :P

I was never brave enough to try lobster, and I wouldn't be able to prepare it, especially if it would be still alive... but if someone would prepare such a tasty looking dish, I would proabably try :)I would choose also Frank, actually anyone but not Whitney... ;)

Have a wonderful day, Margot

p.s. Just wake up, drinking coffee and reading blogs, but in few minutes I'm off to Hyde Park with my daughter to meet a friend... weather is sooo nice today in London, that I have to use those last moments of sunshine, before autumn weather will completely take over.